We’ve Been Quiet. We Haven’t Gone Anywhere.

A personal note from Bogdan, founder of oolala

In April, I wrote to you about the next chapter of oolala. I expected those changes to begin showing up soon.

One week after our last email, on May 1, our son Nathaniel was born, and our family’s life changed.

Our family needed us somewhere else.

Nathaniel was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare condition in which the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped.

At five days old, he underwent his first open-heart surgery.

What followed was a long hospital stay, serious complications, and a season in which Masha and I stepped away from work to stay close to him.

For a while, everything else had to become quiet.

By God’s grace, Nathaniel is home now.

His journey is not over. HLHS is lifelong, and more surgeries and ongoing care are ahead. But being home with him, holding him, caring for him, and settling into life together is a gift we do not take lightly.

And yes, oolala is still here.

I should have written sooner.

I also did not want to return with a promotion and act as if the silence had not happened.

The changes I shared in April did not begin on the timeline I expected.

Our timeline changed. The direction did not.

Now that we are home, I am beginning to return to the work.

Soon, you will begin seeing the next chapter of oolala take shape: new kinds of pieces designed for real life, familiar favorites shown in a more intentional way, and new prints we have been waiting to share.

The pricing changes I mentioned are still coming as these updates reach individual styles. I will tell you clearly before they do.

And yes, new prints are coming soon.

For those who would like to follow along

We created a Facebook page for Nathaniel where we will share updates as his journey continues.

Our family has also shared his full story on GoFundMe, including what he has already overcome and the road still ahead.

If you pray, we would be deeply grateful for your prayers for Nathaniel, his medical team, and our family.

Read Nathaniel’s full story on GoFundMe →

Many of you have been part of oolala for years.

I do not take that lightly.

Thank you for still being here after the quiet. Thank you for reading this. And thank you for giving our family the grace to be fully present where we were needed most.

We are finding our way back, one step at a time.

And I am looking forward to showing you what comes next.

With gratitude,

Bogdan
Founder, oolala